Improvement in machines for edging, sizing, and straightening non-cylindrical metal bars



I i "3 Sheets Sheetl J. S, SEAMAN. me for Edging, Sizing andStraightening Non- Oylindrioal Metal-Bars. 88. Patente Machi d Nov 5,I878 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. s. SEAMAN.

Machine for Edging, Sizing and Straightening Non- GylindricalMetal-Bars. No. 209,588. Patented NOV. 5,1878.

J. s. SEAMAN.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Machine f0r EdgiI1g,-'Siz'ing and Straightening Non- CylindricalMetal-Bars} I No. 209,588.- '.P:;\ t en"ted Nov. 5,1878.

fimrrn n STATES PATENT FFIcE;

JOSEPH S. SEAMAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR EDGING, SIZING, AND STRAIGHTENINGNON-CYLINDRICAL METAL BARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,588, dated November5, 1878 application filed April 18, 1878.

ence being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in whiclnlike letters indicate like parts.

The present improvement relates to the edging, straightening, and sizingof iron and steel bars, beams, girders, rails, 850., of irregular orother than cylindrical shapein cross-section, or bars, beams,girdersflrails, &c., which in such operation are not rotated on theiraxes.

The characteristic features of the machine I employ are, first, a pairof revolving rolls of any known suitable form, such as cylindrical,concave-faced, disk-rolls, or screw collared rolls, or rolls having twoor more of these features in combination second, a guide or guides whichshall first prevent the rotation of the bar (using this ter1n,as Ipropose to do through this specification, in a generic sense) whilebeing operated on, and, second, shall give a line of feed other thanright angular to a plane passing through the axis of either roll, thatbeing the only line of feed ever yet used to my knowledge in passingsuch non-cylindrical material through a rolling operation.

As the substantive features of my improvement may be embodied in manyways, I will explain somewhat in detail those which I deem the moreimportant, taking up first the sub ject of edging. I

Figure 1 shows a concaved-faee roll, It, of any desired curvature. It isa well-understood fact that such a roll can be cut by a plane passingthrough it at such an angle with the axis that the line of ,cut on thesurface of the roll will be a straight line. Assume that the dotted linemm, Fig. 3, represents such a line. Let Fig. 2 represent a cross-sectionof the roll R in the line 3 3 Fig. 1, with a rectangular bar, 1',presented edgewise thereto and in a line parallel to the axis of theroll. The roll would then bear on the bar only at the ends of the rolland on the bar only at the center of its edge.

' If, now, the bar 1 be thrown out line with the roll until it presentsthe same angle to the rollaxis as is represented by the line 00 m, thenthe roll will take a bite on the bar from end to end, but in a diagonalline, as represented by the dotted line as a: in Fig. 3.

One end of the roll will bear on the corner of the edge of the bar, asin Fig. 4, (that being a cross-section in the line g the other end willbear on the diagonally-opposite corner of the same edge, as in Fig. 6,section on 31 31 and at the middle of the .bar the bearing will bedirectly across the middle of the edge, as approximately'shown in Fig.5, section on 3 3 Now, by varying this angle of bar and roll, or varyingthe angle of feed with reference to the roll, I vary the edging effectof the rolls.

Onjthe one hand, by making the line of feed a little nearer the line ofthe roll than is represented by the supposed line a: an, I cause thechief working power of the roll to be efi'ective on the edges of thebar, and by reducing such edges or working them down I make the edge ofthe bar 1 rounding 5 and, on the other hand, by making the angle of feedgreater than that represented by the supposed line at w, the chiefworking power of the roll will at its middle part be made eflective onand directly across the edge of the bar, so as to give a fiat edge withsquare corners.

By arranging a like roll, so as, under like conditions, to be operativein like manner on the other edge of the bar, such opposite edge can berounded or squared at the same time; but preferably in such case the tworolls are arranged in different planes, with the line of feed bisectingthe angle which the axial lines of the rolls make with each other.

In order to make the above illustration clear,

I have shown a much greater concavity in the roll R than I would preferto employ.

A machine embodying the principles above explained in what I now believeto be their best form is represented in the other figures of thedrawings, in which Figs. 8 and 9, Sheets 2 and 3, show perspective viewsof the machine from opposite sides.

The rolls R R are arranged, as just stated, in different planes, theiraxial lines crossing each other at or near a point midway between sentit in perspective view.

their ends, and in such position relative to the interposed feed-guidesg g as that the line of feed shall, by preference, bisect such angle, ornearly so, at or near the crossing-point. The rolls represented areintended to be slightly hollowing or concave from the ends to or towardthe middle points of their length; but in the rolls as I prefer to usethem the concavity is so slight that it is difficult to repre- But theamount of concavity is not material, and in fact the invention may beused with rolls both of which are of the ordinary cylindrical form.These rolls are mounted in rocking or oscillating housings H H, eachmade with a portion or the whole of the lower edge of a circular form,as at H, and which circular edge rests on a correspondingly-curved seat,B, of the stationary or main frame 13. Each housing may then be rockedone one way and the other the other, so as to cause the rolls to assumeany desired angle with reference to each other. To permit of this adjustin gmotion, the roll-necks have their bearin gs in bearing-blocks DD, the upper and lower bearing-edges of which are made rounding, asshown, and such rounded edges restin concave seats in the adj acentedges of the housing-frame, the form of such seats being as illustratedat 15!. As the housings are rocked in the plane of their length, thebearings D will rock in a plane transverse thereto, so that the rollswill be automatically adjustable relative to each other and to the lineof feed. The bearings D are adjusted toward each other by means ofset-screws D, and in a reverse direction by screw-bolts and nuts d, theopposite or unseen ends of which are made of T or L form, and hook ontothe inner or adjacent ends of the bearings D in the manner common insuch art. One or more lugs or straps, D extend from each housing H, anlap onto some fixed part of the stationary frame B, so that the rockinghousings, H can be fixed or secured at any desired position ofadjustment by means of fastening-bolts d passing through slots at, or byother equivalent means.

The feed-guides g g are made of such form of face as may be necessary tohold the bar to be operated on in the proper line of feed, so as topresent the proper edges to the action of the rolls, and also so as toprevent the rotation of the bar on its own axis while being operated on.

The guides shown are intended for use in the edging and straightening ofrectangular bars; but as I propose to employ the invention withrailroad-rails, H-iron, and iron and steel bars, rails, girders, beams,&c., of

other irregular forms, the adjacent faces of the guides must, in suchuse, he correspondingly changed. These guides are in any case open ontheir sides toward the rolls at all working points, but should be soshaped and attached as that, while leaving room for the bar to passthrough readily under the feeding motion imparted to it by the rolls,(such effect being well known in the use of such rolls,) they will stillprevent any material bending or buckling of the bar, or any partthereof, in a vertical direction during the time that the rolls areworking the bar by transverse or horizontal pressure. Such guides may besecured to the housings by brackets g and bolts 9 For purposes ofadjustment relative to the workingplanes of the rolls, they may beturned on the bolts g as centers, and adjustment to and from each othermay be provided for, if necessary, by the usual slotted connections 5but this will probably be unnecessary, as separate guides willordinarily be required for different sizes and shapes of product orarticle to be worked.

I have shown one convenient construction of driving-gear, in which thepinions P P are mounted in housings P. The shafts A have swiveled oruniversal-joint connections in the coupling-boxes A at one end, and attheir other ends they are journaled in boxes A which are secured to thepinion-blocks a, and the latter have a swiveled or universal-jointconnection with the adjacent roll-necks in any of the ways known to theart. Motion is then communicated from the shafts to the rolls throughthe miter-wheels a a.

In accordance with principles of operation already explained, the edgesor two opposite faces of a bar, beam, girder, or rail are presented tothe action of the rolls, so as to round and straighten or square andstraighten the edges or face operated on, and also at the same timebring the articles worked to a uniform size. Among other uses of thisimprovement, I employ it for edging and sizing file-blanks, making theedges rounding or flat, with square corners, as may be desired; also forsizing iron or steel bars where great accuracy of size is required;also, in connection with suitable guides, for bringing railroad-rails toa uniform height. grooves in which such rails are rolled become worn byuse they will produce a rail a little too high, and with many railroadmen a variation of the one-thirty second part of an inch in this respectwill cause the condemnation of the rail. By passing such rails throughmy machine I can bring them all to a uniform height, and thus. enablethe roller to continue the use of the same rolls for a much longer time,as well as bring the rails much more perfectly to the standardmeasurement; and the same may be done with T-iron, H'iron, &c., guidesconformed to the worked faces of the bar being substituted for thoseshown, and the rolls being properly adjusted in accordance with theprinciples above stated.

So far as relates to sizing and making flat edges or faces, cylindricalrolls arranged with their axes parallel may be employed; but in suchcase they should be geared so as to revolve in opposite directions, andnot inthe same direction, as illustrated in the drawing, with referenceto concave-faced rolls; also, in

It is a well-known fact that as the such case, the feed-guides should beat an acute angle to the axial line of the rolls; but such angle may bevaried at pleasure.

It will also be within the present invention to incline the guides gsomewhat, as illustrated in Fig. 7, Sheet 1, so that a skelp may be fedthrough and its edges be beveled by the action of the rolls thereonpreparatory to making a lap-weld pipe or tube. The rolls. in this casemay be "either cylindrical or concavefaced.

From these illustrations the skilled mechanic will have little ornodifficulty in adapting this improvement to' other uses in the art ofedging, straightening, or sizing different metallic articles orproducts.

The use of the rocking or' adjustable housings I do not deem essential,as other modes of adjustment may be employed; and, in fact, the rollsmay be set at the proper angle in fixed housings at one or both ends, soas to do one or more kinds or sizes of work without other means ofadjustment in such fixed housing than such as are in ordinary use; andall such and other modifications which include my improvement, in wholeor in part, are e'fpressly included within the scope of the claimshereinafter made.

Without confining myself to any exact theory of operation, it isprobable that the rolls have partly a grinding or cutting and partly areducing or compressing effect on the bar, the percentage or relativeproportion of each effect depending somewhat, perhaps, on thetemperature of the bar and the amount of pressure employed. Preferablythe' bar is heated before being operated on, but not necessarily so, asthe operation described may be performed even after the bar has becomecold, or practically so; and, in so far as relates to straightening,such effect results in part from the fact that by feeding in the bar atan angle varying from a right angle the length of bite of the two rollson the bar is correspondingly prolonged, and all kink, crooks, or otherinequalities not longer than the length of bite will be removed.

I should add" that under the term rolls I include any known form ofrevolving rollingsurface-such as disk-rolls, the disks being of uniformdiameter or concaved more or less at the middle, and also rolls having aworm face, like a screw-thread, rectangular in cross-section, and eitherstraight or curved, as before; and the feeding effectof suchscrew-thread maybe made use of in the operation described.

I claim herein as my invention 1. The-mode of working the opposite edgesor top and bottom faces of bars, skelps, rails, beams, and other likenon-cylindrical articles by causing them to'pass between a pair of rollsat other than a right angle to one or both the rolls, while preventedfrom rotating by top and bottom guides, substantially in the manner andfor the purposes above set forth.

7 2. The combination of revolving rolls, rock-, ing frames or housings,and self adjusting roll-bearings in the housings, substantially asdescribed.

3. A rocking frame or housing having guidesupports attached thereto, incombination with inclined rolls and parallel guides substantially as setforth.

4. A pair of parallel guides, g g, Fig. 7, tilted on' their longitudinalaxial lines to an obliq'ue position, arranged between a pair ofrevolving rolls and p.1-allel therewith or at an acute angle thereto,substantially as set forth. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH S. SEAMAN.

